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Hi everybody, and welcome to a new Top Ten Tuesday!
Today’s topic is in honor of the new school year that’s about to start, so I thought I’d take the time to take a little trip down memory lane and tell you about some of the books that take me right back to my own school days. (Which weren’t THAT long ago, I promise…)
Maybe a little disclaimer before I start: these are not necessarily required reading books. In fact, I think most of them are books I read in my own time and had nothing to do with school. But they still bring back memories of my school days. More so than the books I read FOR SCHOOL, because honestly, I don’t remember much of those. And I have mixed opinions about required reading in general. I get that there are some books that are classics and must-reads, but I also think teaching kids the joy of reading is way more important and they should be given the option to read something THEY want as well.
With that said, let’s get into my list of books that take me back to school!
Early School years
Even though I’ve always been a reader, I don’t remember that much about the books I read as a little kid. However these definitely still stand out to me!
Goosebumps by R.L. Stine
Yes, present-day Lindsey rarely reads horror of any kind because she’s a big scaredy-cat, but kid Lindsey was addicted to anything creepy and scary. Other than Goosebumps, I was also a big Fear Street fan and I LOVED a Dutch series called De Griezelbus (loosely translated as ‘The Spooky Bus’)
Animorphs by K.A. Applegate
I also loved, loved, LOVED this series about a group of kids fighting aliens invading their planet by turning into animals (a gift given to them by another alien). I’m still peeved that these weren’t all translated into Dutch and I never got to finish the series. This disappointment did start me reading in English more though!
High School
I was a huge reader in high school, though my reading tastes were pretty different to what they are now. Nevertheless, I highly enjoyed all of these books.
A Walk To Remember by Nicholas Sparks
I was a huge Nicholas Sparks fan in high school, but especially A Walk To Remember brings back all the memories.
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
In high school I was also introduced to the wonderful world of fantasy when I saw the first Lord of the Rings movie and became obsessed. I then read all of the books, though it took me a loooong time.
Free Fall by Joyce Sweeney
This was by far my favorite book in high school. It’s a story about four boys who go exploring a cave together and end up lost inside. It’s a very emotional book about survival, but also friendship and well, we all know how much I’m a sucker for great friendships.
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
The only required reading I actually liked and can still remember. I actually read this one during my summer, in advance of the coming school year and I still see myself sitting in the break room of my summer job, reading this book. A book that disturbed me a lot, but also held a lot of important messages.
The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans
Would I still love this now? I’m not sure, but I do remember I was obsessed with it in high school and used it for one of my ‘free choice’ book reports, where I vividly explained the differences between the book and the movie.
The Eagle and Jaguar series by Isabel Allende
This lesser-known series by Isabel Allende was one of my favorites in high school. It was my first YA fantasy read before I even knew the meaning of YA fantasy.
Any Nicci French
So you know how I’m alway saying I should be reading more thrillers? That’s because I used to read more of them and really loved them, so I have no idea why I stopped. But I especially loved the thriller series by Nicci French and could always expect one of their newest books as a birthday gift.
College days
In between high school and college I didn’t read a lot. Required reading in high school had kind of put me in a reading slump for a while. BUT THEN! I discovered the following magical world:
Harry Potter by J.K. ROWLING
I still see myself sitting at lunch, ignoring everything around me and just reading these books. These books put a new spark in my love of reading, and so many years later, here I am! Still reading and loving books and even blogging about it 🙂
I came into the Lord of the Rings after the first movie, and loved the books. I did have to read The Lord of Flies for school and liked it. I hadn’t known about the Isabel Allende series you mention, but then, I don’t know too much about her books. The one I read, I didn’t care for all that much.
Thanks for sharing your list!
I had the same intro to LotR 🙂 Glad you enjoyed Lord of the Flies as well! And yes, it’s definitely one of Isabel Allende’s lesser known books, but it’s my favorite of the ones I have read 🙂
I never read A Walk to Remember, but boy did that movie make me cry.
Maybe that’s why I never read it, haha.
Nice list!
Totally understand that reasoning, haha! The book’s totally different, but it still brings on the tears.
YES to Goosebumps and Fear Street!!! I was SO obsessed with Fear Street in middle school. It was basically what I was known for haha. And now I have a Fear Street Podcast, so not much has changed. I never did read those Animorphs books because those covers are SO CREEPY!! I just couldn’t get past it!! I also really like Lord of the Flies. And I didn’t like a lot of required reading in HS at ALL.
You have a Fear Street podcast? That’s so cool! The Animorphs covers are definitely a little creepy. And I felt the same way about required reading in high school!
Goosebumps brings back wonderful memories for me. I loved those books! Great list. 🙂
Ah yay, glad you have great memories about them too 🙂
I hardly remember Lord of the Flies but I remember reading it. And Lord of the Rings of course, I was a big fantasy reader as a teen. A lot of the derivative fantasies too, some more memorable than others. 🙂
Haha yeah, I don’t remember that much about what actually happened or the characters of Lord of the Flies, but I do still have vivid memories of me reading it 😀 Lord of the Rings is definitely a great start to fantasy 🙂
Goosebumps!!!! I LOVE those books SO much! I’d seriously like to reread them at some point! I got my boys a box set and I think I’m going to get my hands on them before they do! Happy Tuesday! 😀
Haha, I’d totally also get a read in before giving that box set to my kids 😉
I still haven’t read Lord of the Flies, I know. I did read the last 3 HP books during high school. Which were also the first books I read of the series, haha.
Great list!
There are just so many classics (and well, books in general) to read them all (but of course we will always still try) 🙂 Haha, that’s so great that you started the HP series with the final three books 😉
I can`t believe I did not know that Isabel Allende has a YA series. I`ve read a couple of her books in high-school, but they were in the adult/magical realism genre.
Yes, it’s definitely one of her least known series, but I really liked it! Haven’t read that many other books by her though.
I’d say the Artemis Fowl books remind me of school because I discovered them when I was 14. <3
Oh that’s a good one! Haven’t read that series myself so maybe I should really catch up some time 🙂
It’s crazy, but I have learned to tell the age of a person by their childhood favorite reads. I don’t know how people read Goosebumps. Just the covers scare me to death!
Here’s my list of stories about teaching in tough schools. I hope you will stop by!
Haha, tha’s an amazing talent though 😀 Yeah, the Goosebumps covers are kind of scary. Present-me probably wouldn’t pick them up, but kid-me loved them 😀
Oh man, this was a blast from the past! lol! I LOVED Goosebumps books. I tried getting my hands on all of them when I was in elementary school. I barely remember the Animorph books. I think I only read a few of those. Of course I LOVE Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Great list!
Haha, glad to provide a little blast to the past 🙂 Goosebumps really seem to be a part of so many people’s childhoods!
Goosebumps def takes me back. I used to love those books.
Glad you loved them so much too! Goosebumps really seem to be a part of so many people’s childhoods 🙂
A Walk To Remember is one of the books that I read in college and LOVED. Glad that you put it in this list. I need to check out the others. Thanks for sharing. ?❤️
Glad you loved A Walk To Remember too! It’s one of those books that’ll always have a place in my book-loving heart 🙂
I looooooved Animorphs but grew out of it before it ended because holy smokes there were a lot of those books. And I also really liked Lord of the Flies when I read it…it’s one that I keep meaning to revisit!
Yeah, there definitely were soo many Animorphs books! I sadly never finished the series either… 🙂
Oh boy.
Can we just take a moment to REALLY appreciate Animorphs? As an adult, I have tried SO MANY TIMES to describe the appeal of this series only to get the WEIRDEST looks. These (AND GOOSEBUMPS!) are books I’ve started re-collecting over the years so that when I have kids, they can read them. I am going to be an AWESOME parent, filling my kids’ heads with quality literature. XD
Yes! Animorphs sounds weird when you try to explain what it’s about, but it was so, so good! Haha, I love your plan and it does sound like you’ll be an awesome parent 😉
The Lord of the Rings series is really good, although I still prefer The Hobbit. I also really enjoyed The Horse Whisperer, but I was in my early 20’s when I read it.
Here is our TTT.
I never finished Teh Hobbit so I should really do that some time 🙂 I also really enjoyed The Horse Whisperer when I read it, but it’s been so long so I don’t know if I’d still lvoe it as much today.
Oh, I totally grew up on Harry Potter so that falls under most of my school career. LOL I enjoyed a lot of my required reading, to be honest, but I do think it can deter people from reading for fun if that’s all they are given – and I didn’t love them ALL, like Grapes of Wrath. No thanks.
-Lauren
Exactly! Required reading can be good, but I think it should be balanced with reading for fun 🙂
Harry Potter was basically my childhood, so I guess it counts as a school read! The only one of the others I’ve read is Lord of The Flies which personally wasn’t for me, but I’m glad you liked it.
Even though I read Harry Poter in college, it still has that feeling as if I came of age with the series 🙂
Yea I was never big on required reading either. I don’t think there is much I remember either. Ah but memories. I’m actually curious about the Isabel Allende series. 🙂 HP FTW!! 😀
Haha yeah, but then again I have trouble remembering books I read for fun now as well so maybe I just have bad memory and it had nothing to do with required reading 😀
I LOVED Animorphs! Great list!
Yay, glad to find another Animorphs fan 😀
GOOSEBUMPS IS THE BEST!!! I never fully got into Animorphs but I remember really liking what I did read. And Harry Potter of course is the best ♥
Goosebumps! Yes, just writing this made me all nostalgic and want to read them again. Harry Potter will of course always be special to me too <3
I didn’t start reading Sparks until adulthood, but I’ll admit (lovable romantic cliches and all), I do enjoy them. My “rule” is to read whatever book is being adapted into a film. Though lately, that trend seems to be cooling off. I’ve not read the book nor seen the “A Walk to Remember” film. I’ve read all the spoilers and it’s so sad… I’ll have to be in the right mood to discover that story. 🙂
Thanks, as always, for visiting Finding Wonderland, Lindsey.
It’s definitely a good rule to read the books that are being adapted into a film! 🙂 A Walk To Remember is my absolute favorite Sparks, but I definitely agree that you have to be in the right mind to read/watch it.
ARE WE TWINS?! I read the Goosebumps series when I was little as well and LOVED THEM ALL SO MUCH, I was addicted to them. Now I’m not too into horror that much anymore haha. Also, Lord of the Flies was a required reading in school and it is one of the rare books I ended up loving just as well. It was SO disturbing for sure, but also great, in a way.
A WALK TO REMEMBER. I still have all of the feelings, remembering this book. Broke my heart ahah.
Haha, yay for booktwins! 😀 I’m the same with Goosebumps – I loved them so much as a kid, but as an adult I shy away from anything even remotely horror haha. And yeah, Lord of the Flies was so disturbing, but I did still enjoy the story and the messages behind it. And yeah, A Walk To Remember will always have a piece of my (broken because of it) heart 🙂